


Feathers

by pickyourselfupfred



Series: Fred and Ginger forever [6]
Category: Astaire/Rogers RPF, Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers Movies
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-09
Updated: 2014-12-09
Packaged: 2018-02-28 19:02:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2743667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pickyourselfupfred/pseuds/pickyourselfupfred
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How can you write about Top Hat without mentioning this. It's my slant on what happened.<br/>Big thank you to all who have looked at my posts so far. Great to know there are like minds out there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Feathers

Back in the studio they threw themselves into rehearsals with renewed enthusiasm. They were both enjoying the routine Fred was working on for ‘Cheek to Cheek’ their big romantic number and they were excited by the prospect of getting up close on screen.  
‘After all’, chuckled Fred, ‘we should do what it says in the lyrics’ and Ginger’s soft cheek was a place he loved to snuggle against.  
‘Mind you’, he said laughing, ‘it should be dancing pants to pants’ and he pointed to Ginger’s usual rehearsal gear of slacks.  
‘I’d sooner have hip to hip’, she replied slyly.

As the routine shaped she swapped the slacks for a practice dress and both of them thought the dance was one of their best.

Came the day of shooting and Fred waited for make up and costume to finish with his girl. He always looked forward to seeing what she would wear. He saw her face first – he always looked there first. God she was beautiful, her hair was exquisite, she was like a goddess. Then he looked at her dress. It seemed to be made of nothing but feathers. He sensed disaster but said nothing. Ginger was confused – he always complimented her on her clothes. He pulled her towards him to block the dance for the cameraman. Within seconds most of the feathers seemed to detach themselves and fly through the air. They were all over his suit, his face and the studio floor. The more they moved the more feathers fell. Fred was a kind and patient man, especially with Ginger, but, under siege, he finally cracked and shouted.  
‘Damn it Ginge, this dress is a nightmare. Get another’.  
Shocked Ginger fought back, ‘It’s a beautiful dress. It’ll be great for the dance’.  
‘Then I won’t dance. That dress goes or I do!’  
Her temper began to boil. She could be as stubborn as him.  
‘I’m wearing this dress and damn your dance!’  
Mark Sandrich stepped in. ‘Stop being stupid Ginger. Wear the dress you wore in Gay Divorce – That’ll do’.  
And that did it.  
‘Then you can both do without me’, she snapped in Fred’s face and stormed off the set.  
Fred’s anger was such that he let her go.  
‘Damn the woman and damn the dress!’ he shouted after her.

She left the studio with her mother and didn’t return next day. Fred, whose anger had cooled, tried to cover for her.  
‘ Women’s problems perhaps. They can get upset at times. Get her back. Let’s try the dress again’.  
Mark was having no excuses and got the lawyers to phone Ginger. She’d better be back in tomorrow. Fred would let her have another chance with the dress – she should meet him halfway.

You could cut the atmosphere with a knife on set next day. Fred and Ginger barely acknowledged each other. The dress had been shaken and sewn but some of those feathers still flew. They filmed the routine over the next two days with frequent pauses for his suit to be cleared of feathers and the floor to be swept. Their romantic duet they had so looked forward to was completed in unpleasant silence.

They were due to film the song itself in the next couple of days and by now their anger had totally evaporated leaving a great sadness in both their hearts. Fred realised that someone, well, himself, had better take steps to ease the situation. After all he had started it by over-reacting instead of talking though it with her. He called a 6.00am rehearsal for Ginger next day.

When Ginger came into her dressing room that morning she found a small white box on the table underneath a note from Fred – ‘Please come to the rehearsal room quickly’. Opening the box she found another note – ‘Feathers. I love ya. Fred’ and a beautiful gold charm in the shape of a feather.

She ran to the room. Fred was waiting, his arms stretched out towards her. She went straight to him, how could she not? They hugged each other tightly.  
‘I’m so sorry Gin. I shouldn’t have shouted at you – not in front of everyone and never at you’.  
‘I was stubborn Fred; I should have run the dress by you before. I wanted to surprise you, I thought you’d think it was lovely’.  
‘It was, you are. I lost my rag. Can you forgive me? Besides you were right. I saw the rushes. The dress looked sensational’.  
‘Forget it now Fred. Nothing’s changed for us', and to prove it she kissed him. His heart soared. She had forgiven him. He cupped her face in his hands.  
‘I love ya’.  
They kissed again. He stood back and took her hands in his own.  
‘And the charm is gorgeous too’, she smiled.  
‘Gin close your eyes’.  
‘What another surprise?’  
‘Just a little one’.

When he told her to open her eyes she dissolved in laughter. Round his neck he had twirled a large feather boa. She thought he looked kinda cute.  
‘I want you to see how it felt to dance cheek to cheek with feathers’.  
She rubbed against his cheek and kissed him.  
‘Ticklish’.  
‘Can I call you ‘Feathers’ from now on?’  
‘Don’t push it buster. Only you – and if anyone else does God help me I’ll punish you’.  
‘How?’  
‘Like this’.  
She uncurled the boa from his neck and unzipped his fly. She put her hand inside.  
‘Eek!’  
She knew what she expected to find but what she did find were feathers! Fred had stuffed the front of his pants with hundreds of them that were now floating to the floor.  
He grinned sheepishly.  
‘Fred look at the floor. What’ll they think?’  
‘That we’ve had a chicken plucking contest’.  
Her eyes sparkled cheekily, ‘ Did you say plucking?’  
After her remark they swiftly shed their clothes. Ginger giggled – Fred, naked as a jay bird but with a stray feather resting on top of his head.  
‘What?’  
She pointed to his head and then to the mirror. ‘ Feathers’, she said.  
Seeing his reflection Fred bent forward in an elegant bow whisking the feather from his head and placing it in her hand.  
‘For you’, he said.  
‘Thank you kind sir’, she curtsied in reply.  
And before long they were doing a slow horizontal waltz on the floor and didn’t give the feathers a damn.

At the beginning of the next day on set Fred asked for quiet.  
‘Listen everyone. Before we start I want to apologise to Ginger in front of you all. I was rude and bad tempered and I’m very sorry. Forgive me Gin’.  
She went to him and hugged him. He kissed her back – not a chaste kiss but a proper one.  
‘Fred!’  
‘Don’t care’  
He had no chance to say more. Mark Sandrich called out, ‘Let’s have playback for a run through’.  
Fred took her in his arms, the music began and he sang,  
‘Feathers, I hate feathers,  
And I hate them so that I can hardly speak,  
And I’ll never find the happiness I seek,  
With those chicken feathers dancing cheek to cheek’.  
And handed her a huge bouquet of red roses.

The whole set erupted in whistles, cheers and claps. All the crew loved these guys, they were nice, regular people, not stuck up movie stars and everyone was pleased they were the old Fred and Ginger again.

But not quite. Ginger put down the roses, went to Fred’s arms and kissed him.  
‘Ginge!’  
‘Don’t care’.


End file.
